Meagan Blanchette

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Introduction:

Coventry High School is the only high school in the town of Coventry. The school ranges from grades nine through twelve. In this large school, located on Reservoir Road it provides nearly 2,000 kids with an education every year, and has been since 1934. This is a public high school for children in the Coventry school district and a host of the Vo-tech program available to all Coventry High School Students and the surrounding high school students in the towns of Exeter-West Greenwich and North Kingstown. Clearly, Coventry has been doing something right if they have been operating for nearly 80 years. A large indicator of Coventry’s success is their mission statement. It states, “The mission of Coventry High School is to challenge our students to meet high academic and ethical standards in a safe and supportive environment of mutual respect. We are committed to providing our students with clear instruction and criteria to develop the knowledge, skills, character, and cultural awareness to become productive and responsible citizens.”


Address: 40 Reservoir Road, Coventry, Rhode Island , 02816
School Hours: 7:20am- 1:55pm
Phone Number: 401-822-9499
Website: http://schools.coventryschools.net/hs/


The Principal of this institution is Michael J Hobin. He has been the principal since 2007. When I met with Michael Hobin for an interview I asked him, “What are you most proud of since becoming Principal?” He responded, “ I am most proud of the major shift in community and respect that has swept thorough the school. Here at Coventry High School as educators we want to go beyond educating the students academically we want them to be well rounded when they enter the world after graduation. So, helping students learn how to respect elders and be successful from doing so is what I am most proud of since I have been principal at Coventry High School.” Aside from Michael Hobin, Coventry offers five additional assistant principals/ and or directors as resources. Mrs. Lori A, Ferguson is the Career and Technology Center Director. Mrs. Lynne Burke is the Assistant Principal for Student Services. Mr. Christopher D’Ambrosio is the Assistant Principal for grads ten and eleven. Mr. Joseph Lucian is the Assistant Principal for grades ten and twelve. Lastly, Mrs. Brooke Macomber is the Assistant Principal for grades nine and ten. Feel free to contact the school’s main office to connect with any Principals for more information on Coventry High School.



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Please note: This essay is intended to inform and create and idea of what Coventry is like as a Community and a School District for prosepctive families. Most of the information will peak the parents interest more than a teenage kids, so sit back and get ready to learn with a visual yet informative statement!



Town of Coventry
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Community Background:

Coventry was founded in the early 18th century, This town, the largest in the state is bordered by Foster, Cranston, and Scituate to it’s north, West Greenwhich and East Greenwhich to it’s South, Sterling, Connecticut to it’s west and West Warwick to it’s east. This town is about 62.3 square miles and houses nearly 35,014 people. This town offers nature trails, bike paths, sports clubs, gym facilities, restaurants, gas stations, some trees here and there for a scenic feel, a few lakes and easy access to highways. This town is monitored by an outstanding police force that works with all of the schools in the district making sure that each school has a built in cop each school day. The town of Coventry is advanced, yet quaint. It is located 20 minutes from the city of Providence. To also answer your questions moms, yes there are plenty of Hotels for when your husbands parents come to visit.

The Facts and figure of the Coventry Community:


Here in Coventry your kids are really more than just a number. The teachers make it their personal task to connect with each student. In this primarily white town (97.2%) Coventry is accepting to all. In 2010 the Census Bureau released that the median family income was $79,850. This number shows that Coventry is a middle class society with their being fluctuations both higher and lower. The number of families below the poverty line is around 8.0%. Compared to the national (14.3%) and the state (12.8%) Coventry still suffers from poverty but it is significantly lower than the state and national average. For more information following this topic, look below at the chart. All information presentd by the U.S. Census Bureau 2007-2011.

To answer your question of, what is there in Coventry Rhode Island? Here isa sample of some attractions Coventry offers!
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Racial Diversity within the town of Coventry

The diversity in Coventry is there although it doesn’t vary much. Small racial groups are represented in this town however, it is mainly Caucasian dominant. Coventry is 97.5% white, with the remaining 3.5% representing African Americans, Asians, Hispanic and American Indian. The black community is represented by .02%. The Asian ethnic group is represented by .06%. While Hispanic or Latino have the largest representation of 2.4%. Lastly the American Indians are represented by .1% of the Coventry’s population.

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U.S. Census Bureau 2007-2011


As you can tell by the chart and statistics above, is that Coventry is much less diverse than other parts of Rhode Island and the United States. Even though all of the racial groups are represented in the town the percentages are small. The 2007-2011 Census Bureau provided all of these facts and figures.


Statistics within the school district


Coventry High School is the only public high school in the Coventry School district. Since there are no high schools to compare this information to in the district, I will compare Coventry High School to two other schools in the state. The first being one of Rhode Islands’ best public high schools; Barrington. The second, Central Falls public high school which is viewed as, a school that is lower on the academic ladder.

First we will take a look into the student to teacher ratio and the qualifications the teachers possess. After looking at the data you should be able to conclude a general idea of how the school runs and what kind of attention your child will receive. These statistics were gathered from the Rhode Island infoworks.ride.ri.gov


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Coventry's academic achievement on the 2012-2013 NECAP

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On my visit to Coventry High School early in the fall of 2013, I took these photos of the NECAP results of 2012-2013 Assessment. These signs posted on the walls near the cafeteria to motivate and encourage students that they can achieve great academic success on The NECAP. The NECAP is an assessment used in Rhode Island to assess the students common knowledge on math, writing, reading and science. The Math and Writing/ Reading scores are now attached to the students ability to graduate. This new graduation requirement is very achievable for all students to pass. The school provides classes and after school programs to help students understand the material that will be covered on the assessment. Below are some statistics that show the advancement of NECAP scores in 2012-2013 school year in comparison to Barrington and Central Falls.

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Table 4; NECAP Scores 2012-2013
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All Information/Statistics from www.infoworks.ri.gov



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Above is a photo of one of Coventry High School's English Teachers. She mainly teaches senior English along with selective writing courses. The picture shows how the outline of the class block is written on the board. along with the learning objective so therefore the students know how it can apply to what they are learning now and how they can apply it to outside situations. A normal class outline was a displayed below.

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Example: Lunch Block Class

Now if we take a look at a completely different learning environment, we will see that the approach to teaching these ninth grade struggling writers is a little different. When I entered their class these students felt unity. No one student felt better than the next because all of these students share the same weakness. After only spending seventy-five minutes with these students and their amazing teach Rebecca Haynes, I could see these kids for much more than their weakness. Coventry High School puts together programs for students with an academic struggle and places those students where they can best succeed. These snapshots were captured in a ninth grade literacy class where the students spent the period writing an essay response to a passage in the book.
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Graduation Statistics


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Graduation Statistics: 2012-2013 (inforide.ri.gov)


As you can see from the chart Coventry’s attendance rate is very high, along with the graduation rate compared to the state. When I visited Coventry High School in the Fall of 2013, I met with the Principal, Michael Hobin. When I met with him we discussed how the graduation requirements have changed over the years. He started by saying that the class graduating in the year 2000 needed 24 credits to graduate (4 English, 3 Math and 3 Science.) The graduating class of 2008 the requirements for graduation went from 24 credits with an added Capstone and Portfolio by state mandate. Moving forward and looking at the graduating class of 2014 the student must complete all of the requirements stated above as well as becoming partially proficient on the NECAP. (Interview)

The truth is that fact of graduating high school is not becoming easier and having a high school diploma is becoming an expectation. Coventry does motivate kids within the school to complete their capstone and portfolio during class time and in school by having students enroll in a capstone course and setting aside time in academic lab to complete their portfolio. Another incentive that Coventry High School has to offer is the “Road to the Ryan.” This is a board that hangs across the hall from the main office. On thins board shows the names of all of the kids that have successfully completed their capstone and portfolio for that graduating class.


I know that going to Coventry and having the “Road to the Ryan" board did motivate me to get my requirements done faster. I was the sixteenth student of out my graduating class of 478 kids to complete all of their requirements. So having see this board and knowing that it truly does work as a motivator, I asked the principal Michael Hobin how this board came about. He repilied, “It started off as a joke. In 2008 the first year capstone and portfolio were required a boy came up to me and said, I am the first one done and would like you to call my name over the intercom. I wasn’t really sure what to say so I said, ‘Sure, listen for your name tomorrow.’ The next day during morning announcements I read the students name aloud over the intercom. The following days and weeks that year student kept coming up to me asking me to read their name over the incercom and here we are today.”



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The board is decorated with a star holding each students name that has completed all of the graduation requirements. At graduation, the students receive their star in their booklet on their designated seat. The intentions of this board are awesome and the giveback is a feeling of relief and achievement.


Get to know one of Coventry's Teachers

An Interview with Lauren Hopkins

Q: What subject do you teach?
A: I teach English and Literacy

Q: How long have you been working at Coventry High School?
A: 13 years and counting

Q: What is the biggest challenge you face teaching today?
A: The largest challenge I face today is staying current with educational practices and to always keep evolving.

Q: What class do you find most rewarding and why?
A: I find my ninth grade literacy class the most rewarding. There is no better feeling in the world then when kids struggling with reading find a book they really enjoy and then once they finish that book they bring in a book that they think I will like. It is the most rewarding part of the job.

Q: What purpose do you think “Advisory” serves?
A: Advisory is the time where students are allotted time to work on their capstone and portfolio. With being an advisor you need to be very up to date and on top of each student progress to better help them be successful and end up on the “Road to the Ryan.” Another reason why advisory is so important is because it allows students to connect with an adult in the school on a less academic level. The students are more likely to share things with their advisor that travels with them over the four years, that has seen them at the best and at their worst, we try to make all of our advisory student feel that they can talk to us (the advisors) about anything they need.




Conclusion:

I feel that Coventry is a fabulous school to enroll your child in. The creative and encouraging environment will provide your child with a healthy learning environment.Coventry High School offers a wide range of Advanced Placement and College Prep classes along with classes tailored to every child's specific need. The SAT/ACT scored reflect the academic standing of this school. Coventry does follow the No Child Left Behind movement and is on board with the new education movement common core (Votta).

After reading through this context statement, the comparison between a very wealthy school and a very low income school, Coventry comes out much closer to the top alongside Barrington. Coventry is a safe college-prepartory high school. As a reader, the statistics have been read, the graphs have been analyzed and opinions have been formed. I hope this information was informative and shows that Coventry High School is a perfect match for your shining star of a student.

References:


Ri kids count. (2012-2013). Retrieved from http://www.rikidscount.org/matriarch/default.asp

United States Census Bureau. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/

Votta, P. (2013). Info works! rhode island education data reporting. Retrieved from http://infoworks.ride.ri.gov/

Coventry high school . (2013). Retrieved from http://schools.coventryschools.net/hs/


I edited Kelsie and Victoria's Context Statement


Author: (Person who wrote report.)
Editor: (Person evaluating report.)
Total Score for this Evaluation: _/35 pts

The purpose of the context statement in EDC 102 is to provide each student with an opportunity to demonstrate his or her ability to research a school, its district, and its community in order to better understand its strengths and challenges. Each report should describe their school based solely on evidence that they cite in their Reference section.

As a peer editor, your tasks are:
  • Read author's report.
  • Carefully evaluate report by assigning a score for each criterion
  • provide constructive comments that will help the strengthen the author's report for each category.
  • Create a link to your evaluation at the end of the report.

Rubric

Introduction = REPLACEWITHSCORE/ 5 pts.

5 - Intro provides an overview of the upcoming analysis, including what school/district/community is being analyzed, what aspects are being analyzed, and who the report is intended to inform.
4 - Intro names the school/district/community and previews the scope of the report, but does not describe who the report is intended to inform.
3 - Intro names the school/district/community but not much else.
2 - Intro fails to name the school, district, and community.
0 - No introduction section is apparent.
Constructive comments about report's introduction:


Organization = REPLACEWITHSCORE / 5 pts.

5 - Report includes an Introduction, a Conclusion, and sections for the School, District, and Community. Within each section, paragraphs logically group the information presented.
4 - Report includes all of the sections mentioned previously, but does not break down information into paragraphs within each section.
3 - Report is missing one of the sections.
2 - Report is missing more than one section.
0 - Report does not include any sections.
Strengths and constructive comments about report's organization:


Mechanics = REPLACEWITHSCORE / 5 pts.

5 - All information in the report is cited using APA styled- citations after the information and in a Reference section at the end of the report.

and

There are extremely few typos and misspelled words in the report.
4 - Most information is cited using APA style.

and/or

There are a noticeable number of typos or misspellings.
3 - Some citations in the References section are not in APA style, e.g. URLs are listed without the title of the website.

and/or

There are many typos, misspellings, or other writing errors.
2 - Most of the report's information is not cited, or APA style was not used.
0 - Report does not include a Reference section.
Strengths and constructive comments about report's organization:


Conclusion = REPLACEWITHSCORE / 5 pts.

5 - Conclusion reviews analysis of school, district and community and describes why findings should be important to reader.
4 - Conclusion reviews analysis of school, district and community.
3 - Conclusion does not refer back to report findings.
0 - No conclusion section is apparent.
Strengths and constructive comments about conclusion:


Creativity = REPLACEWITHSCORE / 5 pts.

5 - Report is written in an engaging style.
4 - Report has some interesting sections.
3 - Report generally reports information without seemingly without purpose.
Strengths and constructive comments about presentation:


Thoroughness = REPLACEWITHSCORE /10 pts

5 - Report includes at least ten different facts in each section (school, community, district) and

compares each figure with another relevant figure (e.g. state or national average) and

states whether or not the school is meeting NCLB standards.
4 - Report includes at least eight different facts in each section and

compares most figures with relevant values and

states whether or not the school is meeting NCLB standards.
3 - Report includes at least six different facts in each section and

compares some of the figures to other relevant figures
2 - Report includes at least four different facts in each section and

compares some of the figures to other relevant figures.
0 - Report includes less than four different facts for any section or

fails to compare any figures with other relevant figures.

Author: (Person who wrote report.)
Editor: (Person evaluating report.)
Total Score for this Evaluation: _/35 pts

The purpose of the context statement in EDC 102 is to provide each student with an opportunity to demonstrate his or her ability to research a school, its district, and its community in order to better understand its strengths and challenges. Each report should describe their school based solely on evidence that they cite in their Reference section.

As a peer editor, your tasks are:
  • Read author's report.
  • Carefully evaluate report by assigning a score for each criterion
  • provide constructive comments that will help the strengthen the author's report for each category.
  • Create a link to your evaluation at the end of the report.

Rubric

Introduction = REPLACEWITHSCORE/ 5 pts.

5 - Intro provides an overview of the upcoming analysis, including what school/district/community is being analyzed, what aspects are being analyzed, and who the report is intended to inform.
4 - Intro names the school/district/community and previews the scope of the report, but does not describe who the report is intended to inform.
3 - Intro names the school/district/community but not much else.
2 - Intro fails to name the school, district, and community.
0 - No introduction section is apparent.
Constructive comments about report's introduction:


Organization = REPLACEWITHSCORE / 5 pts.

5 - Report includes an Introduction, a Conclusion, and sections for the School, District, and Community. Within each section, paragraphs logically group the information presented.
4 - Report includes all of the sections mentioned previously, but does not break down information into paragraphs within each section.
3 - Report is missing one of the sections.
2 - Report is missing more than one section.
0 - Report does not include any sections.
Strengths and constructive comments about report's organization:


Mechanics = REPLACEWITHSCORE / 5 pts.

5 - All information in the report is cited using APA styled- citations after the information and in a Reference section at the end of the report.

and

There are extremely few typos and misspelled words in the report.
4 - Most information is cited using APA style.

and/or

There are a noticeable number of typos or misspellings.
3 - Some citations in the References section are not in APA style, e.g. URLs are listed without the title of the website.

and/or

There are many typos, misspellings, or other writing errors.
2 - Most of the report's information is not cited, or APA style was not used.
0 - Report does not include a Reference section.
Strengths and constructive comments about report's organization:


Conclusion = REPLACEWITHSCORE / 5 pts.

5 - Conclusion reviews analysis of school, district and community and describes why findings should be important to reader.
4 - Conclusion reviews analysis of school, district and community.
3 - Conclusion does not refer back to report findings.
0 - No conclusion section is apparent.
Strengths and constructive comments about conclusion:


Creativity = REPLACEWITHSCORE / 5 pts.

5 - Report is written in an engaging style.
4 - Report has some interesting sections.
3 - Report generally reports information without seemingly without purpose.
Strengths and constructive comments about presentation:


Thoroughness = REPLACEWITHSCORE /10 pts

5 - Report includes at least ten different facts in each section (school, community, district) and

compares each figure with another relevant figure (e.g. state or national average) and

states whether or not the school is meeting NCLB standards.
4 - Report includes at least eight different facts in each section and

compares most figures with relevant values and

states whether or not the school is meeting NCLB standards.
3 - Report includes at least six different facts in each section and

compares some of the figures to other relevant figures
2 - Report includes at least four different facts in each section and

compares some of the figures to other relevant figures.
0 - Report includes less than four different facts for any section or

fails to compare any figures with other relevant figures.
Author: (Person who wrote report.)
Editor: (Person evaluating report.)
Total Score for this Evaluation: _/35 pts

The purpose of the context statement in EDC 102 is to provide each student with an opportunity to demonstrate his or her ability to research a school, its district, and its community in order to better understand its strengths and challenges. Each report should describe their school based solely on evidence that they cite in their Reference section.

As a peer editor, your tasks are:
  • Read author's report.
  • Carefully evaluate report by assigning a score for each criterion
  • provide constructive comments that will help the strengthen the author's report for each category.
  • Create a link to your evaluation at the end of the report.

Rubric

Introduction = REPLACEWITHSCORE/ 5 pts.

5 - Intro provides an overview of the upcoming analysis, including what school/district/community is being analyzed, what aspects are being analyzed, and who the report is intended to inform.
4 - Intro names the school/district/community and previews the scope of the report, but does not describe who the report is intended to inform.
3 - Intro names the school/district/community but not much else.
2 - Intro fails to name the school, district, and community.
0 - No introduction section is apparent.
Constructive comments about report's introduction:


Organization = REPLACEWITHSCORE / 5 pts.

5 - Report includes an Introduction, a Conclusion, and sections for the School, District, and Community. Within each section, paragraphs logically group the information presented.
4 - Report includes all of the sections mentioned previously, but does not break down information into paragraphs within each section.
3 - Report is missing one of the sections.
2 - Report is missing more than one section.
0 - Report does not include any sections.
Strengths and constructive comments about report's organization:


Mechanics = REPLACEWITHSCORE / 5 pts.

5 - All information in the report is cited using APA styled- citations after the information and in a Reference section at the end of the report.

and

There are extremely few typos and misspelled words in the report.
4 - Most information is cited using APA style.

and/or

There are a noticeable number of typos or misspellings.
3 - Some citations in the References section are not in APA style, e.g. URLs are listed without the title of the website.

and/or

There are many typos, misspellings, or other writing errors.
2 - Most of the report's information is not cited, or APA style was not used.
0 - Report does not include a Reference section.
Strengths and constructive comments about report's organization:


Conclusion = REPLACEWITHSCORE / 5 pts.

5 - Conclusion reviews analysis of school, district and community and describes why findings should be important to reader.
4 - Conclusion reviews analysis of school, district and community.
3 - Conclusion does not refer back to report findings.
0 - No conclusion section is apparent.
Strengths and constructive comments about conclusion:


Creativity = REPLACEWITHSCORE / 5 pts.

5 - Report is written in an engaging style.
4 - Report has some interesting sections.
3 - Report generally reports information without seemingly without purpose.
Strengths and constructive comments about presentation:


Thoroughness = REPLACEWITHSCORE /10 pts

5 - Report includes at least ten different facts in each section (school, community, district) and

compares each figure with another relevant figure (e.g. state or national average) and

states whether or not the school is meeting NCLB standards.
4 - Report includes at least eight different facts in each section and

compares most figures with relevant values and

states whether or not the school is meeting NCLB standards.
3 - Report includes at least six different facts in each section and

compares some of the figures to other relevant figures
2 - Report includes at least four different facts in each section and

compares some of the figures to other relevant figures.
0 - Report includes less than four different facts for any section or

fails to compare any figures with other relevant figures.